The Teens in High School
by Scribe of the Shire
Summary: UPDATED! Rating changed to T, may move to M later on. Basically the Bones crew in high school, with B&B, Angela, Hodgins, some Zack and maybe Sweets thrown in too!
1. Long Thursdays

**Long Thursdays**

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The sound of the clock's second hand moving only added to the dull melody of the teacher's voice, causing his eyes to drift shut ever so slowly. Just before they closed, he would blink, shaking his head slightly to clear the fog from his brain.

He really wasn't that dumb, not the way he pretended to be, anyway. He had all A's, well, except in Physics, he'd always had trouble with science. He had a B minus in that class. He tried to maintain a 'dumb jock' image; he knew that was the only way to maintain his popularity. And if he had nothing else, he had that.

He glanced over at the clock, his eyes drawn to the source of the steady ticks and tocks. Great, he thought, only a few more minutes until he left this torture, and moved onto the next round of hell. He was hoping his dad would take his bottle of scotch into his room tonight, and hopefully fall asleep before he could get himself pissed enough to start the beatings. He knew avoiding his father would be tough, as his team was given the day off from practice due to their amazing win the day before, so he would have no reason stick around school.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of a long Thursday. He was fortunate enough to be invited to a pick-up basketball game with his friends, so he called home and left a message, saying he would be late because he was working on a project. When he returned home, his father was snoring in the master bedroom. He crept up the stairs into his room, did his homework, studied a little, and took a shower. He threw on some boxers, and then climbed into bed. He was exhausted, and he fell asleep shortly after his head hit the pillow.


	2. The New Kid

The next day, he woke up to his beeping alarm clock. He threw on a t-shirt and jeans, as well as his varsity jacket. He grabbed some toast and his backpack before heading out to his car. While he drove to school, all he thought about was how it would be yet another boring day in this boring suburban town.

He always knew he would get out of this crap town. He wanted to see the world, see things other people only dreamed of seeing. He wanted action, adventure, something new and different. He also knew he couldn't pay for college, at least not on his own. And he also knew that the Army paid for former soldiers to go to college, after they were discharged. He figured it killed two birds with one stone; he would get his action and get his tuition paid.

He pulled into the student parking lot and found a spot. As he got out of the car, he took a quick glance around, like an instinctual look at the surrounding territory. As quarterback, he was trained to know what was going on all around him. He noticed a new car, one he had never seen at the school before, parked a few spots over. He wondered why a new kid would be starting in the middle of the semester, and on a Friday, too. Then he remembered why he knew he had seen the car before, just not at school: it belonged to the Whites, a family that took in foster kids. They had had no use for it in the past few years, as all the kids they took in were younger than 14 and left before they reached their 16th birthday. So, the new kid must be in the system, he thought. He made a mental note to go easy on them, maybe help 'em out a little.

He walked into his first period Physics class and sat down at his usual desk. No one usually sat at the spot next to him, but he looked over and noticed that a tall girl with auburn hair and pale skin was sitting next to him today, her nose buried in an anatomy textbook. Great, he thought, a typical, annoying nerd. However, his thoughts did a 180 when he noticed her clothes, which looked old and worn, and realized she must be the new kid that was in the system. He decided to keep his promise to himself, and decided to initiate conversation.

"Hi." Man was he lame.

She looked up, and he saw piercing blue eyes glance over at him, as if she was sizing him up. He could almost _see_ her thinking, and it unnerved him that her full attention seemed to be directed at him. He squirmed a bit in his seat while she continued to take him in and process, then she seemed to have finally made a decision.

"Hi." She turned back to the textbook.

"What're you reading?" He asked. She angled the book so that he could see the contents of the page she was turned to. He saw a diagram of a human skull, which creeped him out a little. He looked back at her, observing her serious expression and somewhat annoyed look.

"Cool," he stated. "Are you new here? I haven't seen you around." God, he was a terrible conversationalist. But he was rewarded for his prodding with a full view of her face, and all thoughts were wiped from his mind. _She's beautiful_, he thought. _God, she's just…wow. Really weren't expecting that, huh Seel? If pretty is Mandy Hamilton, then this girl is a friggin' Greek goddess. _

She had a prominent, square jaw, striking blue eyes with hints of green, a thin nose and a full mouth. Her skin was pale, her hair a brilliant auburn hue that glinted red and gold in the sunlight streaming in from the window. He took in all this in just a few short seconds, and then moved his gaze back to her piercing eyes that once again seemed to be assessing him.

"Yeah, I'm new. Just moved in with the Whites. I saw you this morning, you live down the street, right?" She closed her textbook, deciding to abandon her studying momentarily for small talk.

"Yeah, I live a few houses down from them. So why are you reading an Anatomy textbook? This is Physics."

"Oh, I take both Physics and Anatomy. I have a test next period, and I'm not fully confident that I allowed myself sufficient time to study the material."

"Wait, you take Physics _and_ Anatomy? I thought they didn't allow that." He was incredulous. He only knew because he himself had asked to take both science courses offered for juniors, but despite his GPA, they told him they weren't allowed to let a student take both due to the work load.

"They made an exception, I suppose. I didn't realize it wasn't normal to take two science courses. At my last school, I took both Physics and Anatomy on an AP level." She looked at him like she was wondering how he could know that it wasn't allowed. Had he asked about advanced courses himself? She had chalked him up to a dumb jock. But then again, he seemed like he was really listening to the answers she gave him, not just trying to find something to incessantly tease her about.

"Wow, you must be rather intelligent," he stated, curious as to whether or not he was still in the running for valedictorian. Although, he pretty much knew salutatorian was all he could hope for at this point. This girl seemed like a legitimate genius.

"Yes, I am. And you seem competent, for a jock. I don't believe I've met an accomplished athlete who is able to continue a conversation without mentioning his athletic prowess." She didn't mention that conversation itself was unusual for her. But he did seem nice, like he cared about what she said.

"Um…thanks, I guess." The bell rang for first period, and the teacher entered the room. "Oh, by the way, I'm Seeley," he added. She opened her mouth to reply, but the teacher spoke before she was able to say anything.

"Good morning, class. We have a new student today. Her name is," she paused to look down and read the name off the paper she was holding, "Temperance Brennan. Welcome to Thomas Jefferson High, Miss Brennan." As the last student walked in, the teacher turned to the board and began writing notes.

Seeley watched Temperance while the teacher introduced her to the class. He could see she was uncomfortable, being put on the spot like that. She grimaced when she told the class that she was a new kid, probably because now people knew who she was. From the way he read her, he guessed that she liked to lay low and not reach out to others. She remained mostly silent for the rest of the class, and as the day wore on he found out he had about half his classes with her. He wanted to talk to her after school, maybe ask her to the football game next Friday or to go out over the weekend, but he discovered she was already gone when he walked outside


	3. Jersey Girl

Chapter 3

Temperance avoided Seeley for the rest of the day. After school, she managed to get into her car and drive off before he walked out of the building.

She went straight to her room when she got "home". Well, she thought, at least the Whites were nice, and allowed her to stay up in her room and study. And they didn't hit her, either. This was probably the best family she'd been with.

She kept to herself, usually. She knew it was easier that way. The less people she knew, and the less she knew about people, made it easier when she inevitably had to move to another house, another family.

The weekend was actually fun. She studied for her tests, did her homework, wrote her reports and papers, just like always. On Saturday, Mrs. White took her to the mall to get some new clothes, and then she got a haircut. They even went to get their nails done. She was actually enjoying spending time with her foster mother. Mrs. White was a kind, generous, funny woman who genuinely cared about her and wanted to get to know her. They went to a book store, to her delight, and she perused the shelves for hours.

Monday morning was cold and cloudy, a typical October morning. Brennan pulled up to school in her car, parked, and made her way to her locker. She was a bit early, so she headed to the cafeteria to get breakfast.

On her way back to her locker, she passed the art room. It was empty except for one girl. She was working on a painting, her iPod headphones in her ears as she worked. Brennan paused, studying the somewhat abstract painting. She decided she liked it.

"Hi," Brennan said tentatively. She knew she could be socially awkward, as it was something that classmates from former schools had pointed out often.

The girl turned around, removing her headphones. "Hi," she said quizzically.

"I was just looking at your painting, it's very good. You are a very skilled artist."

"Thanks. Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Yes, I'm new. I just…moved here." She hesitated slightly when she stated she had moved. It wasn't technically a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

"Oh, ok. I'm Angela, by the way. Angela Montenegro."

"Brennan. Temperance Brennan." Angela laughed while Brennan gave her a confused look. "What's so funny?"

"It's just that you sounded so much like James Bond. You know, 'Bond, James Bond'?" Brennan was still confused.

"James Bond?"

"Wait, you've never heard of James Bond? Sweetie, we're gonna have to educate you. In fact, we have a resident hottie here at Thomas Jefferson High that happens to slightly resemble good old double oh seven. I'm sure you've had the great pleasure of meeting Seeley Booth?" she asked, curious as to how this girl had never heard of James Bond. She didn't appear to be one of those horribly geeky or nerdy types; in fact, she was what the aforementioned Booth and his friends would call "smokin' hot."

"Oh yes, Booth. We met yesterday. He's in a few of my classes." Just then, a boy a couple of inches shorter than Brennan walked into the art room. He had curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, and he clutched a container that held a small green caterpillar in his hand. He wore a sweatshirt and jeans, his backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Hey, Ange," he said tentatively. He turned and saw Brennan. "Oh, hi. I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met. Jack Hodgins." He extended his hand, which Brennan shook.

"Temperance Brennan." She thought he had a friendly air about him.

"Hodgins' house is that huge one on top of the hill by the edge of town," Angela stated.

"Ange! You know I hate it when you tell people that!" Jack exclaimed.

"Sorry Hodgins, I just like to see you get uncomfortable," Angela countered with a smirk.

"Why wouldn't you want people to know where your house is?" Brennan asked.

"Because I don't want people to know that my family is rich," he sighed. "If they found out, and everyone became friends with me just so I would pay for stuff, then how would I know whether or not my friends genuinely cared about me?"

"That's understandable," Brennan nodded. Suddenly, a shrill bell rang. "Crap, I have to go if I'm going to get to class on time. Bye Ange, bye Hodgins. It was nice meeting you."

"You too," Angela and Hodgins replied in unison.

Brennan walked briskly down the hall, her books held tightly to her body by her crossed arms. She walked into Physics and sat down just as the second bell rang. She exhaled, not even realizing that she had been holding her breath in the first place. She turned to see Booth smirk at her and wink.

"What?" she asked, slightly irked.

"Nothing, it's just that I didn't think you'd be the type to almost be late to class, especially on Monday morning. In fact, I figured you'd be the type to get here early." He chuckled softly. His weekend sucked, and seeing her face on such a dreary Monday lifted his spirits immensely. He enjoyed this bickering thing that they had.

"I _was_ early, but I stopped in the art room and began talking to this girl named Angela and a guy named Jack," she huffed. She wasn't really irritated, but she enjoyed the friendly, meaningless banter.

"Oh, Angela Montenegro and Jack Hodgins? They're nice. Angela's a very talented artist, and Jack runs on the cross country team and plays lacrosse."

"Yes, I stopped to compliment Ange on one of her paintings. They were both very friendly." The teacher walked into the room, a little winded from rushing to class. Since, she was late, she had to go through the day's lesson quickly, so Temperance and Booth had no time to talk to one another.

The rest of the day was quiet, as were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Except that Temperance told Booth that she wanted to be a forensic anthropologist. After she explained what exactly a forensic anthropologist did, he decided that he would from then on call her "Bones". On Friday, Booth met Temperance in the parking lot, a little while before school started.

"Hey, Bones–"

"—_Don't _call me Bones."

"Okay Bones, whatever you say." That earned him an exasperated sigh and a light hit to the shoulder. "So, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the football game tonight. It's a home game, and I would really appreciate it if you came." He squirmed in his chair, slightly nervous. He wasn't sure why he was so afraid of her turning him down, but he knew if she came that he would be beyond elated.

"Sure, Booth. I'd love to go. Can Ange and Hodgins come too?"

"Of course Bones, thanks. One other thing," He looked at her, nervous once again but still excited from her saying she would go to his game. "Whenever the varsity team has a home game, they give their away jersey to a girl to wear on game day. I was, uh," he looked at her again, then turned his gaze downward, studying his shoes intently, "I was wondering if you'd, uh, maybe like to wear mine?"

Brennan was a little stunned that he had asked her. She had heard of the custom, as they had done the same thing at her old school. However, she had only ever been asked once. A cute boy named Sully, who she had gone out with for a month or so before he moved to a new town.

"Uh, yeah, Booth. I'll wear your jersey."

"Okay, uh, I think I have it with me. It's clean, I washed it." He dug through his backpack for a moment before producing the navy and white jersey. "Here you go." She took it from him and placed it on the hood of her car. She quickly removed her sweatshirt, followed by the t-shirt she had worn that day. After pulling the jersey over her head, she saw Booth's face was bright red.

"Are you embarrassed by something, Booth?" she inquired.

"Oh, uh, no Bones, it's nothing. Thanks for, uh, you know, wearing my jersey." Booth was on cloud nine at that moment, not only had she agreed to go to the game _and_ wear his jersey, but he also had a nice, long look at her toned stomach and her breasts, barely contained in her blue polka dot bra.

"Thanks for asking me to wear your jersey." They gazed at each other for a long moment before Brennan, in a decidedly un-Brennan-like manner, pulled him into a hug. She felt a strange warmth wash over her as his arms wrapped around her middle. She could only describe it as a wave of euphoria and happiness. It was a feeling she hadn't felt since…she shivered at the mere thought, and Booth pulled her closer to him. They reluctantly pulled apart, though neither was sure _why_ they were so reluctant.

"We have to get to Physics." She couldn't wait for her third period English class. It was one of the few classes she didn't share with Booth. However, she discovered that Angela and Hodgins were both in her class. She was practically bursting with excitement, and she desperately wanted to share this morning's events Angela. Yes, third period couldn't come soon enough.


	4. Falling and Football

Hi all, thanks so much for your great reviews! I want to apologize for the delay on this chapter, I have been ridiculously lately and needed to take some time to brainstorm and think about the story. Enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review!

Chapter 4: Falling and Football

The school day passed both horrendously slowly and impossibly fast for Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth. Their focus was completely on tonight's game. Booth was going over plays during class, making sure that he had not only memorized them, but that they were nearly instinctual. Brennan couldn't concentrate in class, especially those that she shared with Booth. He kept smiling at her with that ridiculous grin of his, which, as Angela had informed her, "made every girl in a ten mile radius swoon and drool."

Brennan was not only having problems with grins, but also glares. Most of the high school's girls were looking at her, some staring and some glaring. The ones who stared were those who were somewhat happy for her, and probably didn't realize that she went to school with them in the first place. The glares came from girls who were either Booth's ex-girlfriends or girls who were interested in him.

Brennan failed to understand why these girls would be jealous of her for wearing his jersey. After all, they were just classmates. They were just friends. She wasn't even sure if she liked him that much; after all, he was an egotistical, pigheaded jock who was a total womanizer. In the vernacular, he was a player. Although, Angela told her that since Brennan came to the school, Booth had broken up with his on-again-off-again girlfriend of four months, and that they were 'off' for good. Angela was constantly telling Brennan that she should pursue a relationship with Booth, as she believed they were "absolutely made for each other."

Finally, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Angela and Brennan drove back to Angela's house to get ready. They were going to meet Hodgins at the field later on. Angela, being a die hard romantic, was thrilled that Brennan was wearing Booth's jersey. She gave her dark-wash skinny jeans to replace the faded flares she had worn to school, and put on a long-sleeved white shirt under the jersey for warmth. The outfit was completed with a pair of Brennan's dangley earrings and chestnut Uggs, the staple shoe for all high school girls. After dressing Temperance, Angela put on her outfit for the evening, which consisted of black leggings, silver Uggs, a green tank top, and a grey v-neck sweater. Angela applied some light make-up to both of them, so they looked "cute but not trampy", as she put it.

The ensembles had the desired effect. Upon seeing them, Hodgins' jaw opened a few inches and he gaped quite obviously for a few moments before regaining his composure and promptly closing his mouth.

"Hey Ange, hey Brennan," he greeted.

"Hey Jack," Angela replied, eyeing him up and down before meeting his gaze.

"Hi Hodgins," Brennan said, distracted and completely oblivious to the exchange between the other two. She was scanning the field for Booth, hoping to see him for a moment while he was practicing before the game started. She saw him near the fence not far from where their group was standing, and she walked over.

"Hey Booth," she greeted shyly. She felt a little awkward because his teammate wasn't far away, and he was looking at her in a rather disconcerting manner.

"Oh, hey Bones! I'm glad you could make it," he moved his weight from foot to foot, fidgeting anxiously. God, he couldn't wait for the game to start.

Across the field, Coach Jones stepped out from the locker room, ready to call his boys and give them their pre-game pep talk. He was flanked by the assistant coaches, Smith and Roberts, and the team's manager, Austin Fletcher. He spotted Booth, his star quarterback, passing distractedly to Hues, a wide receiver. He was talking to a girl who stood beyond the fence. Finally, he thought, Booth is dating a girl he actually likes. The coach decided that they made a good couple, and as Booth leaned closer to her, she gave him a hard punch to the shoulder that made him grimace. Jones knew that girl would keep Booth on his toes, which was a contrast to the needy blonde cheerleaders that Booth insisted were "his type."

"Jefferson! Let's get in the locker room and talk strategy, boys! Come on, hustle, move it!" The coach exclaimed to the players, whose slow jog towards the locker room quickly turned into a fast run at his prodding.

"Hey Bones, I gotta go," Booth said hurriedly. He was lagging, and he needed to get to the locker room _pronto_.

"Booth, come here," Brennan said. Booth leaned over the fence that separated them, mindful of the punch he had received earlier for doing so. She surprised them both by quickly leaning in and kissing his cheek. Her head remained next to his, and she whispered, "Good luck," into his ear. Her hot breath swirled in the cold night, warming his ear and his heart. He pulled back a little, gazing into her eyes. His hand sought hers involuntarily, and he shivered from both the cold and her touch.

They were brought out of the moment by the coach's voice hollering "BOOTH" from across the field. He turned to run over, giving her one last look before he took off across the field.

The game was incredible. Brennan had only gone to one football game at her last school, with her ex-boyfriend Sully. He wasn't that good since he was more into basketball than any other sport. Booth, on the other hand, excelled at football. He was clearly the alpha male of the team, leading them into each play with courage and poise. He was very skilled with or without the ball.

The other team, however, was also very good. They were apparently Jefferson's rival in just about everything, especially football. Angela explained to her that last year, the Jefferson team lost to them during the state championship, and Booth and his team have been thirsting for revenge all year.

Every time Booth was tackled, Brennan felt her heart constrict painfully in her chest. She would unconsciously hold her breath until he rose to his feet and began barking orders at his teammates. She tried to explain and rationalize it away, trying to convince herself that she was concerned for him because they were good friends. Brennan broke her train of thought and returned her attention to the game.

It was now late in the fourth quarter, and Jefferson was down by one point. They were a few yards from the goal line, and they were on the fourth down. Booth huddled with his men, their final time-out had been called seconds before so they would have time to huddle and line up. After Booth outlined the play, the boys all clapped their hands together and headed for their positions. Booth stood behind the line of scrimmage, looking a little nervous. The ball was hiked, and Booth received the ball. He pump-faked twice, looking like he was going to throw. However, the play was a fake-out, and he suddenly tucked the ball under his arm and darted through an opening off to the left. He saw a giant linebacker from the other team running towards him, and dove the last few feet into the end zone.

Everyone, including Brennan, held their breath while the referee came over to see if Booth had made it over the goal line. When he turned to the packed stands and raised his arms in the signal for 'touchdown', the crowd went wild. Roars and shouts were heard from the audience. Angela turned to Brennan and hugged her tightly, yelling "We won! We won!"

Brennan had turned her head back to the field to see Booth sprinting over to the fence at the edge of the field. She disentangled herself from Ange and raced down the bleachers towards him. He nimbly hopped over the fence just as she reached him. For several minutes, all they did was stare at each other until the world around them faded away. The noise, the roars, the stadium lights, all disappeared as she lost herself in his warm chocolate gaze. Some strange magnetic force drew her closer to his face, but she froze when she became conscious of her body's unbidden movement. Suddenly, she propelled herself towards him, her chest colliding with his as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her head rested on his jersey number, her eyes closed from the contented feeling that swept over her. He brought his jersey-clad arms around her thin waist as best he could with his shoulder pads on. They stayed like that for either a second or an eon, neither was quite sure, until Brennan opened her eyes and moved back slightly, still in his embrace. Once again, they stared at each other, inching closer until she could feel his warm breath on her face. She thought he might kiss her, until Angela interrupted them to grab Brennan and whisk her away to some party.

Booth watched them leave, stealing a glance at Brennan's retreating backside before he remembered his manners and quickly looked away.

Next chapter: THE PARTY! Woohoo! Leave me a review telling me your thoughts on this chap, or any chapter for that matter. Or you can yell at me for the delay. Or you could yell at me for my terrible writing skills. Or all of the above. See you next time!


	5. The Police in the Party

My sincerest apologies for the delay. I know it's been like a month, and I'm really sorry about that. I was really busy in July, and then on August 1st I fractured my ankle =(. Again, I'm really really sorry about the delay, and for the short chapter.

Booth arrived at the party a few minutes after Brennan and Angela, having showered and changed in record time. He began searching for them, grateful for the fact that he towered over most of the other party-goers. He saw them in the living room and began to make his way over, fighting against the bodies of his teammates and other large jocks.

Meanwhile, Angela already held a plastic cup of what was most likely spiked punch or beer, and was attempting to coerce Brennan into taking a cup for herself. Brennan shifted uncormfortably, and politely but firmly refused. Angela gave up, took a long swig from her cup, and turned around to chat with Brennan. She spotted Booth forcing his way through the semi-drunk teens.

Booth finally reached the girls, and accepted a cup of the mystery drink. He looked at the drinks table and confirmed that it was only beer, and not punch that had been spiked with God-knows-what. Brennan turned back to Angela.

"Well, I guess if you both are drinking, I might as well," said Brennan. She knew she was giving in to peer pressure, but also knew that her foster parents wouldn't find out because she was sleeping over at Angela's that night.

"Yes! Here you go Bren," replied Ange as she handed Brennan a plastic cup.

Booth drank half of his cup, then turned to the two girls.

"Hey guys, do you mind if we go upstairs? I have a headache, I think my brain got detached from my skull during one of those tackles."

"Sure Booth. But I'm bringing another cup, for later," replied Angela. Booth and Brennan chuckled, and the three started making their way upstairs. Angela signaled to Hodgins, who was talking with one of the football players, that they were going upstairs. He made his way up the stairs, and the four found a room to claim as theirs.

Booth and Brennan sat cross-legged on the bed, while Angela and Hodgins spread out on the floor. They chatted for a while until Angela passed out in a half-drunk manner. Hodgins asked Booth to take Brennan home, and he picked up Angela and bid them goodnight. He carried her downstairs, and they watched through the window as he put her in his car and drove off.

Booth and Brennan sat and talked in the room for a few minutes. Suddenly, there was a loud bang downstairs, and police yelled, "STAY WHERE YOU ARE. WE KNOW THIS IS A PARTY. IF YOU TRY TO LEAVE YOU WILL BE ARRESTED."

Booth looked at Brennan, and she looked at him, until they said what was on both their minds.

"Oh shit."


	6. Whatever You Need

Hello, lovely readers. I have a little something to say before this chapter.

I am well aware of the fact that it has been about a month since I've posted, which is totally unfair. I absolutely HATE when other authors take a month to post every chapter. I do have an excuse, I started school a few weeks ago and I'm taking an AP course and advanced math in addition to Spanish and Mandarin. It's been a lot of work and my entire grade was pretty overloaded the first few weeks. However, I think I've finally hit my groove, so to speak. I'm trying as hard as possible to update regularly, but I am absolutely the WORST procrastinator, so it'll be a challenge. PLEASE tell me in a review or PM if you think it's been a really long time since I've posted anything, it'll really help me want to write more often.

Okay, enough about me. Onwards, to (teenage) Booth and Brennan!

_Last time on "The Teens in High School":_

_Booth looked at Brennan, and she looked at him, until they said what was on both their minds._

"_Oh shit."_

**Chapter 6: Whatever You Need**

"Damn it!" Brennan angrily whispered. Booth looked at her in surprise; she hardly ever swore. "Booth, we need to get out of here. Do you know what will happen to me if we get caught?" He looked into her eyes and saw fear. He realized that she was right; if they got caught drinking at a party then she'd probably be moved to another foster home. That thought made him jump up and look around quickly, taking in the room and any means of escape.

"If we hurry, we might be able to get out before they totally surround the house," Booth said. He noticed that there was a window that conveniently had an area of the roof just below it. The room also had a dresser filled with clothes, so the two looked through it for black and navy shirts and hats. Booth pulled on a black sweatshirt, and Brennan found a black hoodie and ski hat. They cautiously climbed out of the window and onto the roof.

"Bones, let me look around before we climb down. I want to make sure no one's down there yet," Booth whispered. Brennan gave him a look, her eyes shining and her breathing short from the adrenaline, and quickly hugged him.

"Thanks, Booth," she whispered. He held her for a moment, then let go to give the ground a brief once-over. He saw it was clear, jumped down and tried to let his weight roll rather than fall. His leg hurt when he stood up, but he was fine other than that. He signaled to Brennan to jump.

Her heart was pounding and her pulse was racing from the adrenaline burning through her body. The excitement and terror of being caught were making her almost light-headed, and she took a moment to calm down. When her breathing returned to semi-normal, she dropped down into Booth's waiting arms. Her weight caused him to fall backwards, so she rested on top of him for a moment, enjoying his closeness.

Booth, meanwhile, was trying to remind himself that they needed to get away from the house if they wanted to avoid getting arrested. However, he was preoccupied with the fact that Brennan's hair smelled unbelievably good, and how amazing it felt to have her laying on top of him.

A cold wind blew by, causing the two to finally jump up and run. As their feet took them farther down the road, they head policemen yelling to one another in the distance. They ran through backyards in the cover of darkness, the black of the night a tangible thing. It felt as though it were running right next to them, encouraging them to go faster and faster. They raced through the damp, cold night until they came to a street. When they stopped, they stood with their arms around their middles, desperately trying to get much-needed oxygen into their over-taxed bodies.

"Never. Partying. Again," Booth panted, smirking over at Brennan. She looked at him and gave a small shake of the head. Then suddenly, she froze, and her eyes showed horrified fear.

"Booth, we've been drinking," she said, her voice expressing her terror.

"Yes, Bones, we have. That's what partying usually consists of," Booth replied with sarcasm, but one look at her face had him feeling instant regret for trying to be funny.

"My foster parents…if they…if they knew we'd been…and if I show up with you, they'll think…oh God. Booth, can I stay at your place tonight? I was supposed to stay with Angela, but obviously I can't do that now."

"Sure Bones, but why? Can't you just sneak in?"

"No, I'm terrible at it. And they would be suspicious if I showed up at breakfast tomorrow instead of being at Angela's."

"Okay, but why were you staying at Ange's and why is it such a big deal if you go home?"

"Booth, if my foster parents find out I was drinking, they are obligated to report it to the system. They would move me immediately, and I'd pretty much screw up any chance at getting a college scholarship. So, can I, just, stay with you?"

"Yeah, but we'll have to sneak out again early. I, uh, was supposed to be sleeping at Hodgins'," Booth hesitated as he told her this, though she wasn't sure why.

"Really? Hodgins never mentioned it. Thanks a lot Booth, I really appreciate it," Brennan replied emotionally. She hugged him for what felt like the thousandth time that night, and he was once again able to smell her beautiful hair. They clung to each other, both relieved from the fact that she wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

Sooooo, next up: THEIR NIGHT TOGETHER. I'm the author, and I'm practically squealing with excitement. Don't worry, it probably won't become a true M just yet. This should really be in the T section for now, but oh well. A WARNING: there WILL be eventual underage 'relations' in this story, but not yet. See you (well, not really, because it's the internet) next time!


	7. A Long Awaited Night

**AN: I would like to thank everyone that has stuck with this story. I apologize profusely for the ridiculous wait; I just lost the will to write and my inspiration. I would be furious with me if I was all of you, but I hope you all aren't too angry. I can't guarantee anything right now; in fact, I was thinking this wouldn't be a bad final chapter. Let me know if you want me to continue this story, and I'll try.**

**Also, thank you for all the positive reviews and feedback. I really appreciate them, they were what finally inspired me to crank this out at midnight.**

They walked in companionable silence. That was what she loved about their friendship, they didn't need constant chatter. Their regular conversations were fraught with hidden meanings and subtexts, they didn't need anymore of it. It seemed as if he could read her. He always knew when she felt like talking and when she didn't. He was aware that she was not one for idle conversation and meaningless dialogues. She didn't need to change for him, he accepted her as she was, without question or criticism or conditions.

When they reached his house, he gave her a boost onto the porch roof. He followed her up, then crawled silently to what she assumed was his window. He opened it slowly and cautiously, listening for the slightest noise from inside the dark house. When it was up as far as it could go, he motioned for her to go inside first. She rolled her eyes at his chivalry and carefully ducked into his bedroom. He came in after her and shut the window while she looked around.

His bedroom was moderately messy, but not dirty or disastrous. A few shirts hung out of his hamper, his bed was hastily made, and papers and folders were scattered on his desk in piles. He watched her taking in her surroundings with an amused smile on his face. She didn't need to know that he had tidied up a bit earlier that day, for what seemed like no reason. He himself didn't know why, but it just occurred to him that maybe someone bit see his room soon and that he should spruce it up a little.

She met his eyes, her expression questioned his amused smirk.

"I was expecting worse. This will do, I suppose," she said with mock disdain.

"I am so very glad that my quarters are sufficient for the great Lady Temperance," he answered in the same sarcastic tone. He gave an exaggerated bow, which she almost laughed at before he read her expression and instinctively put his hand over her mouth to keep her from making a sound. She froze, her eyes wide in surprise, while his hand stayed glued to the soft skin of her face.

His fingers brushed against her cheek, making her shudder. Brennan involuntarily stepped closer, but Booth didn't notice because his eyes were fixed on hers. He took a small step forward too, decreasing the space between them naught but a few meager inches. The air between them was filled with tension, the hairs on his arms standing on end. He gulped slightly, before moving his hand away from her mouth and fully onto her cheekbone. The tips of his long fingers brushed her ear, and she shuddered again, this time almost against his body. She closed the space between them, their shirts meeting, his leg between hers. Her head tilted back to maintain their eye contact. They stood frozen once again.

Suddenly, without any warning, she crossed the divide and her lips met his.

His mouth moved against hers as his hand remained still against her skin. His lips, she realized, were a reflection of his personality. Gentle, giving, but at the same time insistent and demanding. She found her arms wrapped around him but couldn't recall telling them to move. Deep brown and soulful blue hid behind closed lids as their eyes finally shut, giving in to the perfection of the moment.

As the need for oxygen became apparent, she cursed the lung capacity of human beings. The air particles once again filled the space between their faces.

Her eyes, still closed in contentment, suddenly flew open.

He read the tension in her embrace, and his eyes opened as well. He waited patiently. He knew she needed to say something, and that it was important.

She hesitated for a moment before whispering, "I'm afraid."

"Why?" _Here it comes_, he thought, _the 'we-can't-do-this'_ speech. His heart went from sixty to zero in five seconds flat as he waited for the expected line.

"Because I didn't want to stop," she admitted. He felt a warmth in his chest spreading out to the end of his limbs. When it reached his face, the corners of his mouth came up in a broad grin. He loved how she always managed to surprise him.

"Me neither," he told her. Now it was her turn to smile shyly up at him. He could see her wheels turning though, at an alarming rate. That wasn't all she had to say. As she worked out her thoughts (in all of three seconds), the smile faded from her face and morphed into a serious expression.

"Booth," she began, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we tried and failed and it was my fault." Her insecurity shone in her eyes before she turned them to the floor.

"I wouldn't let that happen, Bones." She looked back up. "I won't let us fail. And I don't think we will anyway. I think this is gonna work. I think we're best friends, and that's why it's gonna work."

"But love is just a temporary emotion that can't –"

"Not my love Bones. Not my love for you." Her eyes were wide in astonishment, boring into his. _Is it true?_ they seemed to ask.

"Our friendship, Booth, is too important. _You_ are too important. I…I can't lose you. And if we try, I'm going to lose you. I can't hurt you. I can't inflict myself upon you," She insisted, tears accumulating and falling as she spoke. "I'm not capable of love, Booth, either giving or receiving." He looked at her incredulously.

"Of course you can love, Bones. You love Ange, don't you, and your friends? And I know you'd never admit it, but you love your parents and your brother even though they left. And they didn't leave because you aren't lovable, Bones. _I_ love you, and I'll bet that they loved you, too. Ange loves you," he reminded her. More tears fell. She embraced him, tight, once again, too emotional to speak. Minutes passed, and he worried that she might outright reject him. Finally, she pulled back, her emotions reigned in a bit.

"I believe you, Booth. You were right. Upon further observation, I have come to the conclusion that the confusing thing I feel for you is love," she stated. He was elated.

"Care to share how you got that, Bones? Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well, what I felt was too strong to be called affection, and to be any other emotion besides love and hate, because they are the strongest emotions. And I know I don't hate you, I could never hate you, so by process of elimination, I came to love."

"Ahh, yes, it's all clear to me now," he joked. His blossoming smile was contagious, and she found herself grinning too. She decided she liked the feeling of reciprocated love.

"I love you," she said spontaneously. He smiled even wider.

"And I love you."


End file.
